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Macalester professor, student help discover ancient mammal fossil

Vintana sertichi
This undated image shows a cast of the skull of the mammal Vintana sertichi, left, made by Joseph Groenke, and a life reconstruction Gary Staab with Staab Studios. The skull of the previously unknown mammal was found in Madagascar.
AP / Stony Brook University, Joseph Groenke

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A 5-inch-long skull is making big news among paleontologists and evolutionary scientists this week. Discovered four years ago in Madagascar, the skull has proven to be from a newly discovered species dubbed "Vintana", which means "luck" in the Malagasy language. It dates to the age of dinosaurs, when mammals were small and rare.

Vintana sertichi
This undated image provided by the journal Nature shows an artist's reconstruction of ancient mammal Vintana sertichi. The skull of the previously unknown mammal was found in Madagascar.
AP Photo / Nature, Luci Betti-Nash

The finding was published this week in the journal Nature. One anatomist who wasn't involved with the find told the New York Times Vitana was "the discovery of the decade for understanding the deep history of mammals."

More from the Pioneer Press:

Unlike the shrew- or rat-size mammals commonly seen at that time in prehistory, Vintana sertichi was a brute, with a head about 5 inches long and a body weighing about 20 pounds.

An analysis of the herbivore's skull shows that Vintana had particularly strong jaws.

"And this mammal had amazing sensory capabilities -- a great sense of smell, and big eyes for navigation in low light. It was big, agile and in tune with its environment. It had to be on guard given the abundant dinosaurs that lived in the same ecosystem," according to [Ray] Rogers.

The Daily Circuit talks to Rogers, Macalester College geology professor, and one of his former students Madeline Marshall. They were on the team that dug the fossil out of a bed of rocks.